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Intel (INTC) is expected to announce its Q3 earnings report later this week, and unlike the last few times, there is visibly more optimism among investors. It is not difficult to figure out why. The quarter began with Trump doubling down on Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan, based on his ties to the Chinese military through some past investments. One in-person meeting with the CEO resolved all the doubts, and less than two weeks after that, the U.S. government took a 10% stake in the struggling chipmaker. The share price closed that day at $24.80.
As we approach the Q3 earnings, the stock is already up well over 50% since that announcement. The company has made a visible shift. It brought in some new people at the beginning of September, and there is one thing in common among them: they all come from an engineering role at their previous employer. Investors may think that’s obvious for a chipmaker and not a big deal, but a little background story should help understand the context.
